This post deals with an experience within the so-called social media, which isn’t very social.

It would appear from the continuing spate of Twitter account suspensions I’m currently experiencing that one or more individuals (yes, I know who you are, what you’re doing & how you’re doing it) are doing their level best to exclude me from a social medium I have every right to partake of.

Sadly, this is an all too common phenomenon within the online environment and can only cast a dark shadow over the character of those so inclined. This concerted campaign on the part of people like @dotnetnoobie and @aj2 against my online presence can have only one rationale. That my presence troubles them through my ability to carry a civil, reasoned and authoritative discussion on a wide range of subjects without resorting to personal abuse. It’s juvenile behaviour on their part and clearly an attention-seeking behaviour on the part of @dotnetnoobie. And they’re not the lone strangers in regard to the hurling of personal abuse, escalating to libel, at other users who happen to disagree with what a small collective of miscreants within the #auspol hashtag might think on any given issue. If indeed they do that at all. Think.

As many, many twitter users within the Australian sphere will attest, #auspol is a nest of bile-driven vipers,and ill-informed malcontents who delight in inciting angst among those who, like myself, are not of the rabid extreme right-wing bent. I don’t incite, which is what peeves them more than anything else. Ignore them, especially @dotnetnoobie, and he becomes vindictive. I believe it is he who is hacking my accounts, creating bogus tweets which breach Twitter rules, then claiming those tweets as mine in complaints which result in the account being suspended. He has the skill level to do exactly that. To him, it’s clearly a sport. To me, it’s a mild annoyance but nothing more than that.

I’ve written here before today about this phenomenon of the disagreeable disconnect between robust rational discussion and aggressive personal abuse. I have to relate, it’s not getting any better with the passage of time, despite the concerted efforts of myself, @andy_downunda, @tadlette, @lunarchic, @mightychewbacca, @brigadierslog, @empresssee, @andojc, @zackster, @baemmeup67 among a slew of other users who seek only to engage in political debate. I see no rationale for aggressive name-calling or worse, false accusation of illegal acts in an attempt to frighten off those who seek to challenge narrow-minded, anti-social views. Democracy is predicated upon the ability of a society to engage in debate over issues of import to that society. Attempting to deny the right of a certain sector of that society to engage on those issues is, quite frankly, fascist.

So, back to my own position, I have had four Twitter accounts suspended within the last two days, all supposedly for transgressions of the Twitter rules. I have no idea what I’m supposed to have done, and Twitter rarely, if ever replies to any support request with anything other than a templated reply. I have no issue with that, but do have an issue with what is clearly a hacking of the accounts to create false posts, which are then presented as genuine offences, or spurious, unsupported complaints which must be so numerous as to eventually have just one get through the filtering process. Either way, I am going on record here and now stating that I have never – as this is highly likely to be one of the spurious complaints or supposed offences – telephoned anyone’s pregnant wife, or children and abused them. Further, I have not ever telephoned anyone with the express aim of abusing them, especially over something as puerile as a difference of opinion. I have telephoned @aj2 to try to discover his rationale for the vitriolic and abusive reaction he expressed to a debate challenge I posed him. He abruptly ended the call upon realising who I was, claiming a stalking offense. Since when is telephoning someone to talk to them classed as ‘stalking’? How did I get his mobile phone number? Very easily. It’s called Google & Yellowpages. It’s also called publically available information. It’s all out there, people. One need only spend the time required to find it.

Anyone who knows me, or follows me on Twitter knows full well that I am who I say I am and have absolutely nothing to hide. I do not suffer fools, and frankly, see no reason for anyone to have to do so. I will not back down from a debate, and will confront those who attempt to apply logical fallacy as their preferred debate tactic. That said, I am a reasonable human being when treated reasonably. I have to say that #auspol is a collective of highly erratic, unreasoned, and in some cases, unbalanced people whose only aim in haunting the hashtag is to seek attention and some kind of perverse notoriety by abusing all those who don’t conform precisely to their own narrow mindset. To me, that’s like an invitation on a golden platter. Fools should never go unrebuffed and while some might say it’s a personality flaw, I’m just the lad to do some rebuffing. So I make this offer to anyone reading this who has had a run-in with either of the abovementioned anarcho-fascists. I have their names, addresses, telephone numbers and considerable other information which I’m willing to point out on Ye Olde public domain interwebs. I won’t simply impart that information, but I am quite willing to show anyone how to get hold of it. These people must be exposed for what they are. Fascism & anarchy do not relate to democracy except as it’s antithesis. We who support democracy, openness and transparency in social engagement fight the good fight, and we will not be defeated.